Flat belts



(No Model.) 2 Sheets -sheet 1 R. DICK.

METHOD OF MAKING FLAT BELTS.

N. PETERSv Phoxo-Lilho ra her, Washinglom D. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. DICK. (METHOD OF MAKING FLAT BELTS.

No. 401,643. Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

N. PETERS Pmwtinw n vw. Washingtum D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT DICK, OF GREENHEAD, GLASGOWV, COUNTY OF LANARK, SCOTLAND.

METHOD OF MAKING FLAT BELTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,643, dated April 16, 1889.

Application filed July 9, 1887. Serial No. 248,902. (No model.) Patented in England October 1 1, 1885, No. 12,254, and

June 25, 1887,1T0. 9,043-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT DICK, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Greenhead, Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, Scotland, have invented certain Improvements in the Manufacture of Belts or other Bands, (for which I have obtained British Patents No. 12,254, dated October 14:, 1885, and No. 9,043, dated June 25, 1887,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention comprises a new or improved mode of making composite flat belts or bands of canvas and gutta-percha suitable for driving machinery and other purposes, and either with or without a layer of Woolen serge or elastic material 011 their working or gripping surfaces when used for driving purposes.

Figure 1 on Sheet 1 shows a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan or horizontal section, taken on the irregular line 1 1 in Fig. 1, of the machine or arrangement of mechanism for coating the canvas, A, in web with gutta-percha solution, first on one side and then on the other, while passing it through the machine at two different operations for making the belts out of such prepared webs, with a great part of the machine shown as broken away at 2 2 and 3 3 to enable it to be shown in the drawings. Figs. 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 show a side elevation and corresponding plan, both partly in section, at the heating-box and fire, while a part of the length of the machine is shown as broken away at at l to enable it to be shown in the drawings, all for bending or folding the belts out of the various thicknesses of the canvas as prepared from the firstmachine shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 5 and 6 show a transverse section and an end elevation, respectively, drawn to a large scale, of the front part of the machine shown in Figs. 3 and 4, for folding and rolling and pressing the canvas into the width and thickness of belt desired,while Figs. 7, S, and 9 are an end and a side sectional elevation and plan, respectively, of a machine for cutting the webs of canvas and gutta-percha as prepared in the machine shown in Sheet .1. into strips of the proper width for being folded and pressed into the thickness and width of the belts required while passing through the arrangement of mechanism shown in Figs. 3 to 6 of Sheet 2 of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, my'invention consists in forming composite belts or flat bands from canvas or strong woven cotton fabrics by treating the fabric in the web with gut-ta-percha solution while passing through the machine shown in Figs. 1 and .2, and then in folding the fabric into the required breadth and the requisite number of plies or thick nesses, with or without the addition of a layer 01 layers of gutta-percha or gutta-percha compounds, preferably between each alternate layer of the canvas and on one side of the complete belt, which would give the Whole greater flexibility and gripping-power, as indicated in Figs. A to A".

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the fabric, A, is

first rolled on a beam, B, mounted in bearingbrackets B in the front part of the framing 7c 13 of the machine, and led forward under and over the guide-rollers D D, carried in bearings in the same frame, behind the beam B, over the top of a table, D, down or under three guide-rollers, D, within the close box D up in front of a heating fire-grate, C, over and horizontally along the series of pinned or spiked and plain guide-rollers D D carried in journal bearings or hanging frames E, sup

ported from the beams E, and standards E" under the roof of the apartment, and all inclosed within sheetiron chambers E E throughout the length of the machine, to prevent the flames running along the web A of fabric should it take fire while being heated the table D, and I insure the thorough pene- 9o tration of the solution into the pores of the fabric, A, by causing the fabric to travel in front of a fire, O, or it might be other source of heat, which has the effect of driving this adhesive solution of gutta-percha into the The fibers and interstices of the cloth, A.

fabric, A, is thence carried over a series of spike-rollers, D, and other guiderollers, D 2. for a considerable length to give ample time I for the evaporation of the naphtha or sol- 10o Vents and drying of the gutta-percha solution before being returned over the under guiderollers, D and finally wound into a roll on a reel or beam, as at H. i

The arrangement for so winding or beaming the web A of canvas, whether dressed or coated on the one side or on both sides with the solution of gutta-percha, as described, is shown as driven from an overhead motivepower shaft, F, carried by hangers E from the beams or joists E of the roof and driven by a belt, F, passed over a small pulley on the shaft F and a cone speed-pulley, F below on a shaft, F, carried in journal-bearing brackets F, secured to the standards E of the framing. The web of fabric, A, to be beamed is passed down under a loose revolving adjustable roller, G, carried by adjustable screws and guides at G, and passed up over the'roller G2 in front of this roller G onto the beaming-roller H, carried injournalbearing standards H, actuated by a belt, G from a pulley on the spindle F, all so as to wind or beam it at a very slow rate, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The coated beam of fabric, A, is wound over a trough, H, provided with a water pipe and tap, H so that this may be instantly filled with water should the naphtha and gutta-percha of the fabric by any accident take fire, and a winding-handle, H is mounted on the spindle of the beam or roller H, so as to wind the fabric up by hand when anything goes wrong with the winding mechanism and rotate it within the water, when this is required to extinguish the fire. The rolls of fabric, A, when so coated and finished on the one side, are then removed from the beam H and placed on the beamB in a reverse manner. The cloth, A, is then again unwound from the beam B and submitted to the same operation of brushing and coating on the reverse side, and also subjected to the rays of the fire, C, so as to have the inner side of the fabric A coated all as and in the same manner as the first side, and after passing over the series of rollers D D is wound again into a roll on the beam H, completely coated on both sides, ready for the next operation of being cut into the widths desired for making the belts, as will hereinafter be described.

In passing to the fire, C, the fabric, A, is carried through a flame-trap, D which consists of a shallow box lined with or formed of sheetiron, with slits at, the ends 6 large enough merely to permit the free passage through it of the fabric, A, and then, after passing up from the fire, 0, it is led along the upper part of the apartment through similar long flame-traps or close chambers, E E with close slits e at their ends for allowing the fabric to pass, but

grate-fire, C, and the upward traversing prepared vertical face of the canvas, A A, to prevent sparks from the fire getting at the naphtha and gutta-percha solution of the prepared face to ignite this. The darts indicate the radiation of heat out from the fire, 0, toward the prepared fabric, A. The rolls of fabric, A, so prepared on both sides with guttapercha solution, are removed from the beam or roller H of the beaming mechanism of the machine shown in Sheet 1 and placed on the beam or spindle I, carried in bearing-brackets I at one end of the frame I of the cutting-machine shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 of Sheet 2, so as to be cut into the strips or widths, preferably twice thebreadth of the belt required, and suitable for being folded and rolled into the exact width of the belts to be made from these strips.

The web A, as indicated by the arrows, is passed from the reel-beam I over the guideroller 1' of the table I and under and over the guide-rollers z" t at the center of the table and on each side of the cutting knife or knives J J, carried in a slotted transverse rail, J and then over the guide-roller i at the other or delivery end of the machine, Where the man stands and pulls 'the fabric through the machine and between the angleiron guidesjj, secured at each edge of the web A of fabric, which keeps it parallel While traveling through the machine and the guiderollers and cutters; or the strips might be Wound onto a roller at this end I of the machine as they were cut and drawn forward by being wound onto the roller. Slotted guide bars or frames j j are secured across the table I below the guide-rollers 7 7?, for securing the slide-guides jj at any width to suit that of the fabric being cut, the small guide-rollers, t Working through holes in the vertical angled sides of the guides j j, carried in journal-bearings at their ends. I cut the solutionized fabric, A, longitudinally, as described, into strips preferably of twice the width (or it might be of three or a greater number of times) of that of the belt required, as dotted at a a, and fold them to the desired width, A A, as shown in the cross-section diagram of a belt, Fig. A. In general, I find it advantageous to employ these flat bands made up of double plies of the solutionized canvas, as just described and shown. I fold the fabric in this manner by passing it through a short tube or orifice, K, (shown particularly in the detailed views, Figs. 5 and 6,) and inserted in a transverse bar of wood, L, which is secured by pinching-screws L in the frame L over the table L at the entering end of the rolling and pressing mechanism. (Shown particularly at M M in the general arrangement, Figs. 3 and 4.) A screw-pin, 1c, is fitted in the tube K, having at its inner end a folding disk or tooth, 70', which divides and folds the fabric A evenly and regularly as it is entered by hand and drawn in afterward by the drawing and pressing rollers m m, and indicated in dotted lines in Fig.6, so that it is delivered in a folded state to the first set of pressing and drawing rollers m m,with the edges of the fabric forming a seam or joint, a, on the one side either in the center or somewhat to one side of the width of the band, as indicated in Fig. A, and so that when a belt is made of two double plies the seams are placed in the centerthat is, adjacent to each otherbut breaking bond in the width of the band, as indicated at a" a in Fig. A showing a section of a quadruple or four-ply belt. These belts or fiat bands of double thickness, as indicated in Fig. A, may by one method be formed from the fabric, A, so treated with gutta-percha solution by passing the strip A, cut to the width required, through the close heating chamber or box P to soften it, and then fold it by passing it while the solution is soft through the said folding or doubling guidetube K, and then through the pressing-rolls m m to form or compress it to the requisite breadth and thickness, as will hereinafter be more particularly described. I prefer, however, by these improvements to form the belts or fiat bands of alternating double layers of solutionized cloth and gutta-percha compounds-that is, by feeding in a thin layer, d of a tough elastic compound of gutta-percha on the top of the joint surface a a, with a large proportion of balata in it ina heated plastic state while passing the doubled belt shown in Fig. A a second time through the machine, leaving this layer of gutta-percha compound all along its upper surface, as indicated at 04 and which answers for the lighter form of belts, only having the solutionized canvas on the one side A A, while having the gutta-percha compound, ta on the other side, and either side may be made to act on the pulleys, as desired; but when stronger belts are required I prefer to make them by joining two of these double thicknesses together (indicated in Fig. A by passing them in a heated state through the machine and between the rollers m m, which thus gives the double ply of canvas, A, first secured together by the solution, and then the succeeding double plies secured together by a layer of the said elastic compound mixture, a alternately between the double layers A, as indicated in the transverse section, Fig. A When still stronger belts are required, they are made of three or it might be more plies of these doubled thicknesses of solutionized canvas, A A, and alternate layers of gutta-percha compound, (L as shown particularly in Figs. A A A The general construction and arrangement of the parts of the machine or mechanism shown in Figs. 3 to 6 on Sheet 2 for so heating, doubling, and compressing or rolling these strips of prepared canvas, cut to their widths, into the belts or fiat bands, as described, consist all as follows: Of a fire-grate, O, erected at one end of the apartment in front of an airheatingbox, C the fire directly heating the front side of the box, while a portion of the flames and heated products of combustion pass from the lower part of the fire under the box to heat it and then pass up a flue, 0, close to the back of the box, so as to heat this also. The air to be heated is led in through a pipe, g, and undulates through passages g' in the box, divided ofi by plates g, and is led off by the pipe 9 in a highly-heated state by the small double branch pipe g? into the lower part of the close heating-chamber P, preferably formed of wood lined with sheet metal and erected on a framing, P, close to the heating-fire. The strips or widths of canvas, A, to be folded and doubled, as described, are mounted on spindles and reels R in journal-brackets R in the lower part of the frame of the doubling, rolling, and compressing machine M. The strips of canvas, A, are led from the reel R up over a guide bar or roller at Q through a slit, P, in the lower part of the heating-box.P, forward through a slit, P in the front end of the box, over the guideroller Q, back through the upper division, P of the heating-box P to soften the solution, and through another slit, P over the slit P in the rear end of the box above the level of the table L of the rolling and pressing machine M to and through the first pair of rollers m m, and then through the others in succession, foursets of which are shown in the machine M. These rolls m m are preferably finely corrugated annularly with sharp ridges and grooves to assist in the better compression of the canvas, A, and its solution while passing through them. The lower set of rollers, 072, have long spindles and are mounted in bush-bearings m below the surface-level of the table L in the main frames M, and in a supplementary framing, M, carried on brackets M" on the back frame, M, of the machine. Each spindle of the lower roller, m, has mounted on its back end a screw-wheel, p, actuated by a screw, 19', on the first motion-shaft 99 mounted longitudinally in bushbearings h in the brackets ll' having on its overhanging end a fast and loose pulley, p actuated by a cross-belt, 13, from bandpulleys 011 a main driving-shaft carried in the upper part of the building, but not shown in the drawings, this belt 19 being shifted by a belt fork and lever, 19. The lower rollers, m, are mounted to carry the band A just slightly above the surface of the table L and have small spur-pinions o mounted on them, which gear into larger pinions, 0, mounted on studs projecting from the back frame, M, gearing into wheels 0", mounted on correspondingstuds in brackets projecting up from the back frame, M. These wheels 0" gear into small pinions 0 on the upper rollers, m, so as to actuate them at various heights above the lower rollers, m. upper roller, m, of the first set of rollers is simultaneously raised and lowered at both ends to the desired height by screw-spindles The , state.

m, connected to their slide -bushes m mounted in their vertical slide-guides m by a horizontal hand-spindle, n, carried in capbushes n" on the upper ends of the spindles m",through beveled or miter wheels n on it and on the upper end of these screw-spindles 721', all so as to regulate the pressure that will be given to the prepared strips A passing through them and also regulate the thickness of the layer of gutta-percha compound, a being fed in by an attendant over the strip in front of these rollers in a heated and plastic The upper rollers, m, of the other three sets have spiral springs n mounted above their bushes m with pinching-screws n in their slide-guides m for regulating the pressure that is to be put on these rollers, respectively, over the prepared strip or strips A passing, through them. The belt A thus prepared passes in a firm and nearly cooled state onto the endless traveling band N, actuated by the end roller, N, through a pulley and belt, N and passed over the carrying and guide rollers N to the extreme delivery end roller, N from-which the finished band is wound onto a reel, A on the spindle S of the revolving winding table or disk S, actuated from the roller N by the cross-belt S and friction-pulley S acting on the edge of the disk S. The thin layer a of gutta-percha fed on by the attendant over the top is pressed out sidewise by the rollers, and the superfluous gutta-percha compound is afterward trimmed or dressed off along the edges even with the edges of the canvas by a hot blunt knife, either by hand or automatically, in front of the set of rollers mm, when the band would then be ready for use as light belting in the form shown in Fig. A

In forming belts of great strength two or more composite flat bands, A M, so formed, as shown in Fig. A are united together by mounting them in separate rolls or reels R in the. bearing-brackets R under the tableframe M and passing them through the heating chamber or box P, separated by moistened guides or rollers, so as not to touch each other, to soften the solution on one side of the band A and the layer of gutta-percha compound, 04 on the other side, the bands being guided from the heating-box into and through the rolls a a, which, by pressing the gutta-percha, d of the one band A in contact with the solutionized fabric of the other band A, cause the bands to adhere firmly and form a single strong band, A, as indicated at Figs.

A A or, a three-ply belt might be so formed, as indicated at Fig. A out of one width, A, of canvas, coated on the one side with the gutta-percha compound, a The composite belts so produced have a surface layer of the gutta-percha compound, a between each double thickness of the prepared canvas and a layer on the one outside surface and a surface of solutionized canvas on the other outside surface, either of which outside surfaces may serve as the driving-surface. In cases where the surface thickness, a of gutta-percha compound is not desired I combine together a composite belt of one or more plies and a solutionized belt by passing them through the heating-chamber and through the pressingrolls, with a sufficient thickness of solution on the surface to be united as to insure their complete attachment by passing through the set of pressing-rollers.

Solutionized belts and composite belts, formed in the manner described and shown in cross-section in the several figures A, A A A and A are, I find, highly superior in tensile strength and transmitting and gripping power on their pulley-surfaces as compared with the cotton or the rubber-clothbelting heretofore in use, the warp and weft of the canvas or other strong cotton fabric employed being greatly bound together by the fibers being thoroughly impregnated with the guttapercha solution. The slight heating of the belts by the friction of driving has the effect of sufficiently softening the solution or the gutta-percha mixture, a on the acting side to give a great gripping action on their driving pulleys, and so prevent all slipping.

Instead of forming the solutionized belts A by coating, heating, and treating the woven fabric and then cutting, folding, and rolling the same, as described, I may form such belts from ordinary sewed cotton belts stitched together by thoroughly impregnating such belts with gutta-percha solution from both sides, and I may form composite belts therefrom by superadding a layer or alternate layers of the saidtough yielding or elastic gutta-percha compound, a in the manner before described in reference to the forming of my improved belting, Figs. A to A without sewing.

The gutta-percha or gutta-percha compound employed for forming the layers a in the manufacture of these belts or flat bands should be of a tough, flexible, and elastic character, such as the mixture of gutta-percha with balata, (which is the gum of the bullet tree,) or of selected tough gutta-percha or other equivalent which would give the soft, flexible, and slightly elastic character described and desired for the purpose of these improvements and be of a tensile strength nearly equal to that of the canvas in proportion to their relative thickness. My new or improved flat belts or bands so formed are finished by stretching them while the guttapercha and its compounds are slightly heated to the best tensile strain that the canvas or fabric will bear without injury, and allowed to cool and dry under the strain, so that these belts may stretch little or none when put to use. The object of introducing the layers of gutta-percha compound, 0. between the layers or double layers of canvas or other strong fabric in these belts or flat bands is to give them flexibility and gripping-power and a tensile strength equal to the canvas, and which cannot well be obtained by the mere use of layers of pure gutta-percha or gutta-percha solution with the cotton cloth, and which has the further effect of preventing the canvas or fabric from wearing or cracking, as ordinary cotton or canvas belts as heretofore made are liable to do. When these belts or flat bands are required for the driving of powerlooms or other textile machinery or purposes where a very regular and delicate gripping and driving action is required, suitable only .for the power to be transmitted and which would slip when eXt-ra strain was brought against it, and would yet maintain its maximum gripping effect without glazing or slipping, I by a further improvement attach a layer or thickness of serge or other woolensurface fabric on the working or gripping side of the belts by passing both through in a heated state between the pressing and gripping rollers shown in Figs. 3 to 5 on Sheet 2 of the drawings. When these belts or flat bands are to be used for hauling or other purposessuch as traces for carriages or for the drawing of agricultural implements-they would preferably be coated on both sides with gutta-percha before being finished to protect the canvas from the weather and from wear and tear. Otherbeaming arrangements than those shown at F F G G2 H in Figs. 1 and 2 for winding the finished solutionized webs of and the various strips or bands A to be heated in passing through it for being rolled into a composite belt would in either case be kept separate by flanged rollers or other equivalent guides, preferably hollow and perforated and covered with cloth over them to retain moisture, so as to prevent the belts touching each other or sticking to the guide-rollers.

hat I claim is 1. The herein-described method of preparing flat belts or bands, said method consisting in impregnating a web of canvas or other fabric with a gutta-peroha solution, then partially heating it, folding the web into a belt or band of the desired width, heating the folded web, and passing it between pressurerolls, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described method of making composite flat belts or bands by first impregnating webs of canvas or other fabricwith a solution of gutta-percha, then subjecting the impregnated webs to heat, then folding the webs into belts or bands of the desired Width,

and then applying to the belts or bands thus impregnated and folded elastic layers or sheets of gutta-peroha compound, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT DICK. 

